Transport control device

#This application claims the benefit of priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-099522 filed on May 28, 2019. The entire contents of this application are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

#The present invention relates to a transport control device.

#Conventionally, in a semiconductor manufacturing plant or the like, for example, a transport system that controls the traveling of a transport vehicle that transports an article such as a cassette for storing semiconductor wafers has been known (see Japanese Patent No. 4441931 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-282567). In such a transport system, a transport command including information indicating an article to be transported, a pickup position (From point), and an unloading position (To point) is assigned to the transport vehicle by a transport vehicle controller. This enables transport of the article by the transport vehicle. For example, Japanese Patent No. 4441931 describes a method of retrieving a traveling route of a transport vehicle after grasping a traffic congestion state. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-282567 discloses a method of predicting the occurrence of traffic congestion based on the occurrence of an event related to a transport vehicle delay.

#FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a layout example of a transport system.

#FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing features of a transport control device and the transport system of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

#FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a transport command.

#Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in the description of the drawings, the same or equivalent elements will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted.

#First Preferred Embodiment

#As shown in FIG. 1, a transport system 1 according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a transport path 4 and multiple transport vehicles 2 that travel along the transport path 4. The transport path 4 is a rail (track) laid in a factory, for example. The transport vehicle 2 is an automated guided vehicle that transports articles. The transport vehicle 2 is an overhead traveling vehicle, a rail guided vehicle, or the like, for example. In the first preferred embodiment, as an example, the transport vehicle 2 is a ceiling transport vehicle that travels along the transport path 4. For example, the transport vehicle 2 is an overhead hoist transfer (OHT). As an example, an article transported by the transport vehicle 2 is a cassette (a front opening unified pod (FOUP)) that stores multiple semiconductor wafers.